Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Accountability: time on testing

audit is heresurvey is here
Perda: in lieu of working with other surveys, we did our own internal review of testing
"it's what we do on an annual basis"
Amanda Kershaw, organizes test for district
document that wasn't prepared especially for this meeting; have had around for several years
informs new staff of what the bird's eye view of student assessment is for the district
share at beginning of the year, but then review with principals
"how are the district-based test working? are these tests yielding the instructional interventions that allow you to optimize learning?"
Then taken to instructional team at district level
extent to which these measures are getting the job done
"weighing the balance of time...to making sure that we have an entire system of testing that makes sense for the district"
Kershaw: Early screening before kindergarten
DIBELS to assess skills of early literacy in kindergarten and grade 1
given on iPads (files are uploaded in advance)
group students "into red, yellow, and green"
"to ensure the lower students and the benchmark students don't have an increasing gap"
Fountas and Pinnell: used K through 8
required in grades 1 and 2
use benchmark three times a year up through grade six
"very valuable for our teachers allow to match reading level"
allow them to match students to books and create reading groups
MAPs
"what's really special about the MAP and why our schools love it" is that the questions respond to the student's ability
"goal setting" assessment in our schools
required in the fall for all schools
in the spring has been optional for the past two years, especially with other testing going on in the spring
ELA MAP testing optional in the winter: no time to make instructional changes before MCAS

O'Connell: teachers say overwhelming amount of testing, but teachers seem to see use of the ones we have control over
rock and hard place
tests over which we have control are seen as valuable
would teachers want to increase the amount of testing in use of MAP?
Perda: feel more comfortable with introducing some options
several schools using innovation
district "don't want to mandate folks to use these tools if they aren't making wise use of the data"
"one size fits all model is becoming a thing of the past"
particularly with ACCESS: "has been a little bit time consuming"
WIDA is moving ACCESS to a computer-based approach: move away from tying up adult one-on-one assessment
O'Connell: clear rationale for what we do
Novick: would like to see answer to how useful teachers find state assessments
(this year, half not so much, as PARCC doesn't come back til November)
find interesting that teachers find state assessment too time consuming; less so for district assessmentwould like to see how much time per student and how much time per class (that's a motion)
Fountas & Pinnell used as a lockbox: kids know their numbers, are limited to reading in that section; F&P even says themselves not what it is to be used for
MAP shared only number: means nothing for kids
kids need to know what they need to work on
MAP adjustment is great, thus problem that state using PARCC (which doesn't adjust) rather than SBAC (which does)
Perda: MAP has retooled their reporting system
getting easier to get information of arrray of student and school reports, available to teachers
Kershaw: MAP we get time spent on testing
F&P is pencil and paper, so more difficult, but perhaps more informative
MAP: learning continuum, not just a writ score anymore, gives you all of the learning goal that the student is ready for
teacher can have the student circle the one they're going to work on, not just a score from the teacher
Biancheria: need more detail for testing
too many teachers saying too much instructional time lost to testing
change survey question to be sure only teachers responding who administer (or use) test
conversation we have to continue
Monfredo: many educators have said it's helpful, as it's diagonostic and they can use it for results
"there is too much testing"
but not so much what the district is doing, what the state is doing
"DESE isn't listening"
passed item to call for statewide moratorium on accountability levels
Biancheria motion to hold

Perda: going to be doing some additional training with staff so they can make most use of testing we do

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A note

What is posted on who-cester is my work and my views; what is posted here does not necessarily represent the views of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (for whom I work as a field director). You'll need to look at masc.org for that.

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Chapter V, Section II.

Wisdom, and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislatures and magistrates, in all future periods of this commonwealth, to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries of them; especially the university at Cambridge, public schools and grammar schools in the towns; to encourage private societies and public institutions, rewards and immunities, for the promotion of agriculture, arts, sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry and frugality, honesty and punctuality in their dealings; sincerity, good humor, and all social affections, and generous sentiments among the people.(John Adams, 1779)